East of Eden
by marie-elisabeth
Summary: It's been 130 years. Humankind is prey to the supernatural beings of the night, but it has gone on for far too long. A hunt is starting - A hunt for the descendants of Cain. This time, God's not pulling any punches in order to save His chosen. EB/REm/AJ
1. Preface

Disclaimer: Much of the information here is taken from the World of Darkness role-playing core books and their associated story arcs, including Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Mage: The Ascension, Mummy: The Resurrection and Hunter: The Reckoning. I reference the New American Bible (the Catholic version) many times throughout this story. No insult is intended, this story is a work of fiction and nothing I write should be taken as truth or as my personal opinion… It's just a story. I do not claim any ownership of the World of Darkness themes, the Twilight characters or world, song lyrics, or anything else I may reference.

East of Eden

PREFACE

"_NO!" I scream as the pounding horde claws at the beautiful stained glass windows of the cathedral, as Marcus claws at his eyes until rivers of red tears run down his face. It's then that I feel the trickle of power flow from my neck down my spine and I drop to my knees, clutching at my head as the final Judgment washes over me. Waves of unworthiness pour through my being and at once I know that the end has come for me. Scenes of long forgotten misdeeds and blasphemies cloud my vision. In the distance I hear the deep, resounding laughter of the eldest; of the one who started this all. He shouts above the screams of terror of the final hour of Gehenna, "And they cried out to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the vengeance of the Lamb, because the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand His justice?'" ((Revelation 6:16-17))_

_"And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts_

_And I looked and behold, a pale horse_

_And its name it said on him was Death_

_And Hell followed with him."_

The Man Comes Around, Johnny Cash


	2. Chapter 1: FIRE

Disclaimer: Much of the information here is taken from the World of Darkness role-playing core books and their associated story arcs, including Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Mage: The Ascension, Mummy: The Resurrection and Hunter: The Reckoning. I reference the New American Bible (the Catholic version) many times throughout this story. No insult is intended, this story is a work of fiction and nothing I write should be taken as truth or as my personal opinion… It's just a story. I do not claim any ownership of the World of Darkness themes, the Twilight characters or world, the song lyrics used, or anything else I may reference.

Chapter 1:

FIRE

Coming as she did to the Basilica of Immaculate Conception without invitation, Rosalie should never have been able to enter the holy site. Her beautiful flesh crawled as she mounted the steps. She stretched a hand toward the door with her other arm wrapped about a bone-white canonic jar. Her fingers ached; her mind screamed in instinctive fear. Rosalie wanted desperately to turn and flee.

But for once, Rosalie Hale was not in the driver's seat tonight.

A loud gunshot from Emmett shattered the locks, allowing her entrance.

"You can do it, babe. Just get in there, we'll get you out." He whispered, falling to his knees. Rosalie gritted her perfect teeth and steeped through the archway.

Her feet burned against the church floor. The gazes of the Apostles, each implanted in the stained glass windows pierced her skull, pinning down her swirling thoughts like dead butterflies. By the time she reached the door to the crypt below her skin had reddened, even blackened in places.

Each step down the stairs was an abyss. She tasted blood on her lips and could not think enough to wonder from which orifice it came. She lost track of where she was, which way she must turn. Nothing was real. Nothing existed but the searing agony of the ambient True Faith…

…and the voice of her 'father' she'd heard so often in her lifetime, urging her forward. Finally, just as she could stand no more, she was there. She saw two figures through eyes on the verge of boiling. The first figure bore stigmatic wounds and wept blood even as it bared teeth in a furious snarl. The second, clearly with child, retreated in fear.

Rosalie tossed back her head, ignoring the tearing of burnt flesh, and let loose a primal scream. And just before the faith shared by the church and its powerful vampire keeper immolated her, Rosalie wrenched open the canonic jar and smashed it at their feet.

**A COUPLE OF HOURS EARLIER….**

"_We have to find some way to get her back!" Carlisle shouted, throwing a nearby glass at the wall. "Do you people not understand her importance? Do you not understand the grace she has been given that none of us have? We HAVE to find a way into that bastard's church!"_

"_The power of God infuses that most holy place," Dean Welkins, a native to this shamble of a town tried to explain in a clearly exasperated voice. "If you can bear it for but a few moments then only way to stop it is to immobilize its keeper. We have the herbs to do it, to put even him, such a powerful vampire to sleep. Getting in there is the problem! No human would feel its effects, only the damned."_

_Carlisle snorted. People in this place had fallen totally to superstition and ritualistic beliefs since the catastrophes of 50 some-odd years ago. It was ridiculous. Even the vampires and werewolves of the realm had lost their reason. Any educated person would realize that those mortal emotions that accompanied feelings of devotion generated specific wavelengths of brain activity that, due to some oddity in the Vampire mind in couple with the Keeper's powerful physic abilities interfered with our physiology. But at the moment, he really didn't feel like trying to explain that again._

"_I'll do it." Carlisle's eyes slid closed and his face dropped to his hands. He was afraid one of his foolish children would do this, but he never expected Rosalie. This might be for the best, though. She had a bit more natural protection from physic abilities than anyone except for Bella in the family, due to her arrogant nature. He looked over to where Emmett was desperately trying to convince her not to go. She did not respond, just simply stared at Carlisle. "You know I'm the one with the best chance. Besides, Emmett will have to run in and grab Jodie and take care of the Keeper's servants. Jasper would die before he reached the doors; you know his power would only amplify the whole situation. You'll have to be ready to help both her and me, after it all goes down. The rest of these scum have no medical experience, and no courage to go in. I want to help her… and her baby. …I need to help them."_

_With a sigh Carlisle pulled out his medical kit and began to apply certain anti-burn creams and the like to her, ignoring Emmett's protests._

**PRESENT…**

Jodie screamed and covered her face as the fumes from the broken jar rose and smothered her and her captor. As she dropped she took one last deep gaze at the woman who saved her, whose flesh was rotting off her body. She fell into a deep sleep, listening to the sounds of yelling from her saviors and the screams from her captor as they tore him and his minions apart.

* * *

A shadow hung over the Cathedral, making the night look darker than the deepest midnight. The sharp, bitter smell of the ocean water hung over the small town, permeating the air like a heavy blanket. I used to enjoy the smell of the water so close. I remember as a human standing on top of our house in Forks and –if I squinted my eyes- I could make out the waters of La Push stretching for miles and miles. It always gave me a sense of peace and comfort of easy days long gone. Not now, though. Now, it felt as if someone had stuffed packets of salt up my nose. _Open_ packets of salt. I breathed out heavily before holding my breath all together.

There were many clouds overhanging Barcelona tonight, making it even harder to see. I rocked gently on my heels, my knees sniff from crouching in the same position for almost two days. I sneaked a glance away from the Cathedral doors to look at my partner, a relatively young vampire named Rhiannon. She stared back, glaring lightly at me for moving. Not that it mattered. We've had people camped outside this God-forsaken church for the past week in a half and not a single person has gone through those doors except for the Father himself, a Hunter on our side who agreed to be bate for our common enemy. I moved to scratch my nose, earning an annoyed eye roll from my mightier-than-thou partner.

I was about to open my mouth and complain to her when a small red light started to flash in the corner of my visor. I reached up and touched the side. Edward's face appeared suddenly in front of my eyes.

"Anything?" He asked quietly, and out of the corner of my eye I could barely make out him and Alice about ten buildings away, on the opposite side of the Cathedral. I shook my head slowly, knowing he could see my movement through his side of the video conversation. "Alice says we're too late. They've left. Madrid. There may still be a few stragglers. We should find Father Diaz and move him to the safe house before we leave." I nodded and ended the call. I nodded at Rhiannon and began to sprint across the building we had been perched on for so long. We both leaped off the side and fell two stories before landing silently in a side alley. Meeting up with Edward, Alice, and two other vampires in our service we ran quickly into the church itself splitting up to look for the priest. I headed towards his private quarters, slipping in quietly while avoiding a venomous trap we had set up at the door. I knew before I opened the door to his bedroom something was wrong. I whispered Edward's name and he was instantly by my side, shaking his head sadly. Pushing the door open, I had to hold my breath once again to avoid the strong smell of human blood. It looked like someone had painted the walls with his life essence. Clearing my throat, I turned to go find the younglings before they caught scent and went into a bloodlust.

* * *

"How could this happen? We've had non-stop surveillance on that damn church for almost two weeks! How could those damn dogs get under our noses like that?!" I yelled, furious at my own failure. Father Diaz was a good man. It was hard to keep faith when one saw as much as he did. A very good man.

"I don't think it was the Wolves, this time." Alice said quietly. I rounded on her quickly, even more angry now.

"What do you mean it wasn't the Wolves?! If it wasn't them, why didn't you _see_ them do it? Why weren't we able to save him?" I sank down to my chair, my head in my hands. So many innocents lost. So many good soldiers lost. So many friends. Edward sighed and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Who do you think it was, Alice?" He asked gently as he leaned on the armrest of my chair. She shook her head, a deep frown marring her perfect features. She looked around at the 20-something people in the room: an assortment of Vampires, Human Hunters, a couple of Mages and one gigantic Mummy named Steve who even while sitting on the floor towered over me when I stood next to him.

"I was just... too clean. We can smell them from miles away, if there are enough of them. And the kill itself… I wasn't done by claws or a Wolf's teeth. And the blood, afterwards… I looked as if someone had actually gotten a paintbrush and..." She trailed off, swallowing. I didn't blame her. Even now, over a hundred years since I last fainted at the smell of blood, I felt a little woozy.

"So who, then?" Steve the Mummy spoke up, his deep voice rumbling over us like a small earthquake.

"Well, I don't think it was any of your people, Stevie," Sophie spoke up, her voice a mere squeak. Sophie was a small 6-year-old Mage who was a certifiable genius. She danced around on her feet, heels rocking back and forth. As she spoke her hands gestured wildly and her dyed hot pink pig-tails shook with every movement. She stumbled over many of the words she used, not because she didn't know what they meant… her young mouth just had trouble forming them. "I couldn't have been, or else the vamps over there would have smelled the decay… no offence, of course, Stevie. I don't think I was the Mages either. Too messy… we may have some special powers, but we certainly aren't totally psy-cho-pathic. I don't think any of 'em over in the guild would have the stomach for it. So that leaves…."

"The Union." I spat out. Even speaking the name put a foul taste in my mouth.

"Ding ding ding! Right-o, Bella! I think it was the Teeechnooocraatic Uuuunioon." She spoke that name in a spooky, drawn out voice while wiggling her fingers toward us. "They've been moving closer and closer to us ever since Japan collapsed, and I hear that they've issued a public curfew in China. I guess it could have been another group of vamps, but I doubt they could've done all that without draining him dry, and there was too much there for any to have been spared." She nodded vigorously at us before sitting down next to the other Mage in our group, Egwene.

"Well, that's just perfect. I think I preferred the Werewolves." Bailey, a Hunter with a thick Irish accent said. Edward nodded in agreement.

"Well, then we won't all be following the Wolves onto Madrid. Some of us need to stay here and investigate who's really behind it and stop the killing. If it's the vampires they can feed on a damn animal just as easily as we can. And if it was the TU… we at least need to find out how they discovered Diaz's association to us, and how they got in. I just don't understand the way it was done. What were they trying to do? And how the fuck did they get in there?" He said, half growling. I reached over and patted his thigh before learning back in my chair and closing my eyes. You'd think a 130 year old vampire would be above stupid headaches.

Sophie started in again, her voice adding to the pressure behind my eyes. "Well, we're not gonna figure that out here. I think we should go ahead and break into the groups and get some of us to Madrid, or else people are gonna die there, too."

"Right, fine. Bella, Alice, Sophie, Steve and Bailey, you guys are with me here. Egwene, you'll lead the others. Contact us when you get to the safe house there. If things get too messy, get out. You know the drill." Edward said, becoming the leader I knew and loved. Egwene nodded stood gracefully, patting Sophie on the head. "Okay. Well, meeting adjourned. Anyone who sleeps get in a few hours now, you never know when the next chance will be."

* * *

"Have you heard from Carlisle yet?" I asked Edward once we were alone. He looked over towards me from his position at the head of the long table we sat at and sighed heavily before dropping his face into his hands.

"Not yet. Alice says something big is coming. Really big. End of the world big. I've seen her visions… It's all going to start with whatever it is Carlisle rushed off to do. She's scared, Bella. I am too. What she saw…" He trailed off and looked up at me with haunted eyes as I stood and wrapped my arms around him, cradling his head to my chest.

"Well, until he calls us, there's nothing we can do. What do you really think about Diaz? It obviously wasn't the Volturi, too messy. They would want to leave that kind of mark behind. I think we should go back tonight and send pictures to them, get them on the case just in case it's a new anarchist group of younglings that just happened across him. It's unlikely, but you never know. They could help. Besides… I think we should give him a proper burial." I said in a soft voice. Father Diaz was a good friend. He'd been with us for almost 30 years. Edward nodded with a shaky breath before standing and kissing me gently on the forehead.

"You're right. Let's get over there and do it before the others wake up, save us some time."

We left the safe house through the only way in or out: up through the sewers. Our base here in Barcelona wasn't exactly a house – just four large sections of the sewers that we had made livable and fortified. It was totally surrounded by stone except for the wooden rafters and the small stream of fresh water that we had diverted from a nearby river just in case for the humans. As we walked through the thick wooden door and up the rocky debris ridden path Alice fell in beside us and hissed under her breath, "You're not gonna like it when we get there." I gave her a grim smile and shrugged. He deserved to be buried by friends.

When we finally reached the surface I flinched slightly at the amount of light already illuminating the streets in the false-dawn. We had to hurry, or people will get suspicious. We began to sprint along the empty streets in hope would could be done before the sun actually rose and we were stuck in the church for the entire day.

Suddenly, Alice froze in her tracks. Edward and I turned back and noticed the familiar far-away look on her face of one of her visions. After about forty seconds she dropped to her knees and began to clutch her head, a terrified look on her face. "Alice!" I yelled, rushing to her side.

"C'mon, we need to get her inside." Edward said, calm on the outside but his eyes betrayed his worry for our "sister". We carried her to a nearby abandoned building and placed her down on the floor. She began convulsing violently so much so that both Edward and I had to hold her down so she would stop hurting herself.

"What the Hell is she seeing?" I yelled to Edward, trying to make myself heard over her screams.

"I don't know, her mind has been somehow completely shut off to me." He replied with a shake of his head. Suddenly she stopped moving in every way, no breathing or twitching of any kind. Edward immediately tried to call Carlisle and Jasper, but neither answered their phones. Finally, after about a half hour of nothing Edward was able to get one word of thought from her mind.

"Gehenna…?" He whispered, looking at me.

"As in biblical hell-fire?" I whispered, terrified for my sister's life.

_"'You serpents, you brood of vipers, how can you flee from the judgment and the damnation of Gehenna?' _Matthew 23:33. It's the Hebrew word for Hell. But more so, there are prophecies, Bella …about the end of our race. About the ultimate punishment from God. Shit. Where the fuck is Carlisle?!" With that the phone within his visor clicked on and the see-through screen moved to cover his eyes. I could make out Carlisle and Jasper from this side of the plasma screen.

He was silent for a moment as he listened to Carlisle speak, and then explained everything that had happened since last night. He was silent for a moment more before Carlisle ended the call and the plasma screen shrank back into the small ear piece we all had.

"They're in Denver. We have to hurry, something big is happening. Carlisle wouldn't say what it was over the phone, but he was scared, Bella." Edward said quietly as he picked Alice up and began to walk out of the building. I closed my eyes momentarily, praying that, for once, things could be normal again before running out after him.

"Wait, what do you mean they're in Denver?! That's like the friggin' center of the Dead Lands!" I whisper-yelled, but Edward ignored me and sprinted through the rapidly disappearing shadows towards the safe house.

* * *

We arrived just before Egwene's party left for Madrid, thankfully. Edward split the team up more evenly so that the three of us plus Sophie could leave and head to Denver in the jet while they took the helicopter to Madrid.

While we were trying to take care of Alice on the jet I finally gathered the courage to ask that question that had the hairs standing on the back of my neck for the past four hours.

"Edward, what prophesies were you talking about? What is Gehenna?"

With a sigh he looked up from Alice's unconscious form and into my eyes. His deep topaz orbs were filled with worry and guilt.

"I'm sorry for not telling you, Bella, back when I first turned you. I should have, but I was so worried, and I didn't want to scare you any more than was necessary. I'm sorry." He whispered, looking up to where Sophie was in her own world, flying the plane while juggling six bright pink spheres of magic. He shook his head and took my hands in his. I stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. He shifted the way he sat and cleared his throat, obviously getting ready for a long history lesson.

"There are scholars, Bella, who believe that Cain was the first vampire, that it was God's curse that created the Vampire race. They say that according to Cain's own recounting when the time came to sacrifice to God, Abel chose the finest among his animals while Cain chose the finest among his crops. However, Cain's crops were not a pure sacrifice, as Cain's ability to grow and harvest them came from God's curse upon Adam for eating the Forbidden Fruit– that he should toil in the dust of the Earth. Abel's mastery over animals came from the gift God gave to him, and thus his sacrifice was pure. Cain demanded answers from his father and from God, but it was Abel who provided understanding: God would accept no impure sacrifice; only the best of what Cain loved that was not born of a curse would be accepted. For Cain, that meant only one thing: his most beloved younger brother.

"Being cast out by God for doing as he was told caused Cain great bitterness, and he spat upon the Earth, disdaining and forever relinquishing his mastery over plants and herbs. He wandered, alone, heartbroken and in pain until he found himself in the lands of Nod, east of Eden. There, he met Lilith, his father's first wife who was created in the same matter as Adam. She too was cast from Eden for daring to question God and attempt to claim her birthright as an equal to Adam, rather than be subservient to the Lord and Adam. She gave Cain comfort and showed him the power she had found. Cain, desiring that power fed on Lilith's blood to gain it. He then fled her house rather than battle against her rage and continued his journey alone. Among his newfound powers were invincibility against the rest of Adam's descendants and great speed and strength. These powers would later evolve into the abilities that we, his descendants, would wield, although with far less potency than Cain possessed.

"At this point, Cain was visited by the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Uriel. Each came offering Cain salvation if he would but seek forgiveness from God for murdering his brother. Cain rejected each offer, feeling that God was a hypocrite and that he was the wronged party; enraged by his lack of humility and the bitter defiance he showed to them and to God, each angel cursed Cain. Michael cursed Cain to forever fear fire; Gabriel cursed him to always be known for what he was in sunlight, so he would have to forever live in darkness with his shame; Uriel cursed him threefold: to be neither living nor dead, walking unchanging, undying, in darkness and without hope; to subsist on blood, hungering for it without mercy; and that his children would turn upon each other, so that he must know what it is to condemn his own children as God had done. These curses altered Cain into the first vampire. They say that the "gift" of a special power each of us receive upon turning are little flecks of Cain's true power, everything from Alice's visions of the future and my mind reading to Jane Volturi's ability to make people feel as if they are burning to death .

"Many years passed and Cain sired his children in the same fashion we do today. And, as Uriel's curse prophesized his twelve children turned against each other and against Cain. They created their own children and grandchildren and so on. The war between Cain's children tore the humans apart, such that God knew He must intervene to save His chosen. He sent the Great Flood to wipe away these deeds and their makers in the hope that a more peaceful and faithful world might arise from the seed of Noah and his kin, one where men obeyed God's word and sought to create a semblance of Heaven on Earth. Carlisle made me memorize this passage from the Book of Enoch, fragment IV… the last recorded words of Cain.

"_For a time they obeyed me, for they feared their father's wrath. But just as I had not accepted God's edicts, so did they not accept mine, for they were of my Blood, and their nature was defiance. Those that were nearest me embraced children in secret, those that were far distant embraced them openly. They ruled the Children of Adam as gods not by man's choice, but by their own decree. And I knew that then they were doomed, for God would not tolerate such practices. Foolish children! You make light of God's law, but you have never seen His face. You make light of His curse, but you have never felt His power. He who made this world can never unmake it, He who gave life to mankind can also give death, and He who cursed us to prey upon the living can make for us such Hell on Earth that all the Adversary's torments will pale in comparison. I saw the storm cloud gathering. I felt the air grow cold. And I knew the time of reckoning had come at last. The Children of Adam prayed for me to save them, but I could not. My children begged for me to save them, but I would not. The rain began to fall, and it did not cease…._

"_And in the end there was only water. My foolish children knew hunger and loneliness and fear. And both God and I saw that it was good. " _

"When the floodwaters had receded, God swore a Covenant with Noah's descendants, promising that 'neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there anymore be a flood to destroy the Earth.'

"God watched as Cain's progeny resumed their foul ways and preyed once more upon man without fear of retribution, but He upheld the Covenant. Pride, envy, wrath, gluttony, lust and avarice blossomed like black weeds in the hearts of those who fell under the sway on the Vampires and soon the Earth was no different than it was before; worse even. As citied sprang up across the globe and every civilization became a playground for the spawn of Cain, Vampires turned mortals at will, damning them with their own cursed Blood and spreading their influence into every corner of the world. Centuries passed and nations rose and fell, but the corrupt touch of vampires was always felt. Even during the creature's most difficult nights, when the inquisition was at its righteous height, the shadowy undead continued to play their games and bring as many mortals as was prudent into their service. This was not the world God had hoped to see rise from the flotsam of the Great Flood.

"Although many mortals sought to follow the path of love and faith, Cain's children made it difficult. The Vampires created a world in their own foul image, a world that was most suited to their predatory and monstrous needs. Whatever they touched became blighted and bore the mark that Cain wore upon his own brow. Sometimes, God did intercede to strike down the truly wicked or to offer salvation to those most worthy, but He could not break His covenant; He would never again cleanse the Earth of its sins and sinners to start anew. Cain's progeny knew this and howled their delight, having no fear of divine retribution. That was our greatest mistake.

"They say all good things come to an end, and the sanguinary excesses of Cain and his descendants will someday finally stop. God will not allow them to prey upon the Children of Noah, to pollute the Earth with Bloody rites or to twist the secrets of the world to their own horrific purposes forever. He watches as we step beyond our bounds, going so far as to raise hundreds of children to one sire and to carry our taint to other realms, not satisfied to befoul just the lands east of Eden, but to leave Nod and corrupt the world. Even as our blood thins and our power weakens still do we defy His power. God has seen enough of this blasphemy, and now I believe He has finally been moved to act… and Alice has seen the coming."

It took almost thirteen hours to get to Denver and not once did Alice stir or have a single thought.

"_Something's wrong with the world today_

_I don't know what it is_

_Something's wrong with our eyes_

_We're seeing things in a different way_

_And God knows it ain't His_

_It sure ain't no surprise…"_

_ -Living on the Edge, Aerosmith_


	3. Chapter 2: BIRTH

Disclaimer: Much of the information here is taken from the World of Darkness role-playing core books and their associated story arcs, including Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Mage: The Ascension, Mummy: The Resurrection and Hunter: The Reckoning. I reference the New American Bible (the Catholic version) many times throughout this story. No insult is intended, this story is a work of fiction and nothing I write should be taken as truth or as my personal opinion… It's just a story. I do not claim any ownership of the World of Darkness themes, the Twilight characters or world, or anything else I may reference.

Chapter 2:

BIRTH

America was nothing like it had been when we left. It has been 112 years, three months, eleven days, thirteen hours, forty-seven minutes and nineteen seconds since my heart last beat, since I was pronounced dead to my parents. After the wedding, Edward and I spent five years honeymooning across Europe and Africa. We would alternate between spending time alone and with members of the family, but we were never far away. It took me almost two years to even be able to go within a mile of town without going insane with blood lust and Edward and Emmett having to drag me back. We eventually moved back to America and settled down in Elkins, West Virginia. It's wasn't quite as small as Forks, but it was, amazingly, even more cloudy. It was there I began my college education through night classes at the University of West Virginia, studying history while Edward got his third medical degree, this time specializing in surgery. To this day I'm still amazed at his and Carlisle's control around blood.

We lived peacefully in Elkins for eleven years before the day everything changed. A disease broke out that we later found out was a biological weapon created by terrorists. It hit a day-care center in Oklahoma first, killing or leaving its victims brain-dead. It soon became obvious that the disease was transmitted through the air. Quarantines were created and enforced, but not before almost the entire state was infected. We ran to help, of course. Those of us without medical experience did what we could in order to keep the hospitals running smoothly. Loosing Oklahoma wasn't the end of it, though. Eventually the nation collapsed after 3 assassinated presidents and then a break out of the disease in the Congress building itself. In fifteen years the population of America went from 300 million to just under 900,000. The chaos and anarchy that broke out all over the world was unbelievable. We had no choice but to flee to Italy, where the Volturi still held strong and were able to keep the peace through their underground all-Vampire dictatorship.

With the collapse of the American government the world's economy was destroyed as well – all currency has been based on the Dollar Standard since World War Two, after all. Although the disease was more or less contained on the North American continent, people all over the world died from malnourishment or exposure. It was 32 years after my last heart beat that the war finally began. It all started in the Middle East, where turmoil left over from America's wars and the oil struggle caused the first nuclear missile to be launched. Russia was absolutely destroyed. Of course, as soon as it was fired all of the other major powers launched their own at whomever they wished. The world's population fell almost two billion from the strikes themselves, and another three billion were lost in the resulting nuclear winter. In the span of 15 years the world's population went from over seven billion to less than three.

Soon a corporation called the Technocratic Union was created as a means to unite the people and bring socialistic-esque stability to the human population. They ordered the world into three different zones- Red, Yellow, and Green. The green zones are the places of civility and order – the most stable of all the lands. As of now, there are four major green zones where most of the civilian population reside - one centered on London, England; Hong Cong, China; Sydney, Australia; and Alexandria, Egypt. The Yellow zones are places that have been tamed in order to farm resources – most are mining communities or hugely guarded farm lands, while some are old towns that people have tried to rebuild out of the dust. Food is more precious than any metal or gem these days. The Red zones are ones that have totally been taken by the environment, disease, or savage humans that resist anything but anarchy. The new order found under the TU brought back hope to the people of Earth, and many humans put blind trust into the corporation. They are the sole human leadership in the entire world. And though they claim to be a solely political order they breed worshipers.

Under the resulting chaos that has ensued the darkness of the world has flourished. North and South America are considered to be the heart or the TU's red zones, totally lost to the disease and the left overs of the nuclear winter.

I turned in a small circle, looking at the devastation that was Denver, Colorado. People shambled down the road, each with at least one sort of firearm for protection. Vampires carried them right alongside the humans, for some reason. As we made our way to the building Carlisle gave us directions to we received many suspicious looks, Alice on Edward's back most especially. Men glanced at her with hunger and women with pity, obviously assuming the worst. We often had to climb over debris and wreckage of long destroyed buildings, cars, and rotting greenery.

When Edward and I finally arrived with Alice and Sophie the house that Carlisle was staying at was in total chaos. Some of the more drastically wounded were carried to places to rest and recover while others were frantically going about random tasks. We asked a few people rushing by where we could find Carlisle or Jasper, and we were eventually led to a far back bedroom in the house, where Carlisle was tending a pregnant woman, singing softly to calm her.

Except... she wasn't a human woman. With a gasp I dropped our bags and looked, horrified, to Edward who had a similar look of shock on his face.

The girl's eyes were glassy; her only sound was an occasional moan. The bulge in her belly sporadically _moved_, as though the child shifted in time to Carlisle's words.

It wouldn't be long now.

* * *

Jodie's scream, as Carlisle delivered the child, was the wail of a damned soul. The umbilical cord slid from her like a slim-covered root; it was stuff, brittle, and it broke away even as Carlisle lifted the baby girl and placed her in a blanket. The smell that permeated the room was a dry, earthy musk.

There was no blood.

Carlisle disliked thinking in metaphors such as "spine-tingling," but something ran through him as he first touched the child. The girl looked normal, like any infant - though her shock of deep red hair was thicker than average for a newborn. Her skin was slightly pale, but that, too, was not especially unnatural.

Through all of the unease Carlisle felt about the situation in general, he could not help but instantly love the baby girl. A sense of peace and happiness that he hadn't felt in almost 400 years, since he was human, washed over him each time he held the smiling child.

Alia was the first born dhampir, a half-vampire, something thought to be only myth until today, an abomination trapped between the world of the living and the world of the undead.

* * *

"Her father was a mortal man Jodie had managed to have a pleasurable experience with before draining him dry of his life essence. When she found out that she was pregnant her brother Dean left the Dead Lands of America to search for a vampire doctor to take care of her," I explained to Alice three days later when she finally came to. "He found Carlisle in Volterra and, when he explained the situation, Carlisle left immediately for Denver. Social life in the Dead Lands is much more conspiratorial than in the Human world. When another local vampire discovered Jodie was with child he was unable to keep the information to himself and told others of his clan the astonishing news. Jodie found herself overrun by vampires, some of whom apparently sought to kill her and halt the birth, and some whom wished to protect the woman and see the child carried to term, perhaps to experiment upon it or worship it in some obscene way. Fortunately, Carlisle, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett arrived just in time in order to help rescue Jodie and her baby from the hands of the lunatic." I finished.

"And how is Rosalie?" She asked in a raspy voice. I smiled and shook my head. I hadn't told her Rose was injured.

"She's doing much better. Carlisle says the scarring isn't too bad, that it should fade by the end of the week. Apparently divine fire leaves a bit more of a mark than she expected. But she's still happy. You should see Alia, Alice. We're going to have to go shopping, you know." I said with a laugh. Alice's eyes widened and for a moment I was afraid she was having another fit.

"OOOH!" She squealed, sitting up quickly, "You wanna go shopping, Bella?! Are there any malls here? … Is there anything here?" She asked, trailing off with a small frown. Things had changed so much here in America.

"I'm sure we'll find something. We need diapers and clothes and formula and everything! They've been mixing some blood in with her milk, but Jodie's body isn't producing enough to keep it up. Jasper suggested trying to find a human mother and see if we can wet nurse Alia or something, but I don't know if that's a good idea. We still don't know how she'll react around a human. Sophie's been staying as far from her as possible and no other humans would have any reason to come to this place." I said, and Alice nodded thoughtfully.

"Is she... different, Bella?" She asked hesitantly. I frowned, considering her words.

"Well, not so much so. I mean, sure, she's half vampire… but not too different. She's growing really fast. Like, Carlisle says she has the physiology of a three month old, rather and a three day old baby. But we can't really say if that's different or not, since she's the first of her kind. We're kind of at a stand still when it comes to theories." I replied, but I could tell she wasn't satisfied with my answer.

"No, I mean… do you _feel_ anything odd about her? Can Edward hear anything weird coming from her mind?" She asked, taking my hand in her own. She was worried.

"Not really. I feel all giddy and happy inside whenever I touch her, but I think that's just the little 4 year old in me wanting to play house," she laughed and nodded, "And Edward said that she's healthy. Just thinking about things babies normally do. Why, Alice? We've been talking all this time but you haven't mentioned what you saw… Does it have something to do with her?"

Alice was quiet for a long time, and I could tell she was choosing her words carefully.

"I saw a bright red star in the night sky, just above the North Star. It was shifting almost as if it was a big ball of gas, kinda like how you look at a picture of Jupiter and its atmosphere is swirling because of all the nitrogen or whatever, you know?" I nodded and waited for her to continue. It took her a long time. "It kept growing, getting closer to Earth or maybe staying the same distance but growing in size, I'm not sure. Finally, it exploded and the red gas covered the Earth. It was terrifying. The Humans didn't notice it, but we… the vampires… it killed us all, Bella, in the most horrific way possible." She turned to look out the small dingy window towards the night sky, putting her hand up against the glass. "The star was the first thing I noticed when I woke up." I looked out the window as well, and sure enough it was there, just a tiny pinprick in the sky, small enough I had to squint my eyes to see it clearly. Never bet against Alice.

I squeezed the hand I was still holding, and it seemed to break her out of her trance. "Edward said he could only make one word out of your mind the entire time… Gehenna. What made you think of that, Alice? Was there something else?"

She nodded her head, and I could tell that if she could cry she would be. "I heard a voice tell me that a baby was to be born. It said the baby was our salvation from Wormwood, and that I was to find and protect the messiah at all costs, it said. 'The baby girl is His messenger, and she is your only hope.' And then it said, 'You have forgotten. You have earned His rage anew. You have forgotten. Let the waters rise again.' It just repeated that for the entire time. I don't understand…" Her head dropped to my lap as she tearlessly sobbed.

* * *

"_And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter."_

_-Revelations 8:10-11_


End file.
